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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26231365">Illegal Search and Seizure</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/howshouldipresume/pseuds/howshouldipresume'>howshouldipresume</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Study Smarter Not Harder: The Bar Collection [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Criminal Procedure, Dialogue Heavy, Ficlet, Gen, M/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:02:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26231365</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/howshouldipresume/pseuds/howshouldipresume</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Where the Magic Book is Found in Merlin's room by potentially Unlawful means.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Study Smarter Not Harder: The Bar Collection [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1784845</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>110</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Illegal Search and Seizure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Arthur dropped the thick tome of spells on the table next to the armour Merlin sat polishing and crossed his arms.</p><p>Merlin looked up curiously and immediately paled at the sight.  </p><p>“Well?”</p><p>“Where did you get that?”</p><p>“Where did I—<em>I found it in your room, you idiot</em>.”</p><p>“What were you doing in my room?”</p><p>“I was trying to find you!”</p><p>“But I wasn’t there!”</p><p>“Yes, I did realize that fairly quickly <em>Mer</em>lin.”</p><p>“So you just decided to go through my things? Without my permission? You just invaded my space like a—like a gobermouch?!”</p><p>Arthur gaped.</p><p>“A <em>what</em>?”</p><p>“You heard me!”</p><p>“I don’t know what gibberish you’re spouting at me, but I will have you know I didn’t go through your things. I didn’t <em>have</em> to because this <em>book</em> was laying in <em>plain view</em> on your bed for anyone to see!”</p><p>Merlin frowned.</p><p>“I still don’t see what business you had in my room. You can’t just go barging in wherever you please you know. It’s not very Prince-ly.”</p><p>Arthur’s eyebrows flew up. His voice turned cold.</p><p>“Prince-ly? I really don’t think you want me to act as your Prince right now, Merlin.”</p><p>Merlin kept his eyes on the book.</p><p>“No. I suppose I don’t,” he said softly.</p><p>Silence lingered for a long moment.</p><p>Merlin was the one to break it. Just barely, in a voice only slightly above a whisper, still avoiding Arthur’s gaze.</p><p>“Am I under arrest?”</p><p>Arthur stared at his manservant, his friend, his…Merlin for another moment. He took in the other man’s guarded expression. He thought back to the cheerful grin Merlin had worn just that morning. He had looked radiant over breakfast, illuminated by the morning sun’s rays as he chattered on about whatever he had learned from the kitchen girls.</p><p>Arthur gave a heavy sigh and uncrossed his arms to lean back against the table.  </p><p>“Well, perhaps you have a point.”</p><p>As expected, Merlin’s gaze snapped up to stare at his Prince suspiciously.</p><p>“I do?”</p><p>“A man should have a reasonable expectation of privacy in his home. If a kingdom is to have the trust of its people, they too must feel the kingdom has trust in them.”</p><p>“They do trust you Arthur,” Merlin said, his voice cracking in earnest.</p><p>Arthur glanced away briefly.</p><p>“I’m…I’m not so sure. But I want them to. I want to earn that trust.”</p><p>He looked back at Merlin. The earlier suspicion had turned into a tentative hopefulness.</p><p>“It wouldn’t be fair of me to arrest a man based solely on a book I came upon improperly.”</p><p>“No, it wouldn’t,” Merlin agreed, nodding furiously.</p><p>“Which means you are not under arrest.”</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>“I would like to ask some questions though. If that’s okay with you.”</p><p>“Anything.”</p><p>“Anything?”</p><p><em>“Anything</em>.”</p><p>Arthur’s eyes narrowed.</p><p>“Well, to begin with…what the hell is a <em>gobermouch</em>?”</p><p>Merlin broke into a tearful laugh and flung himself into Arthur’s arms, toppling over his chair and nearly Arthur as well in the process.</p>
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